Wire-stretcher.



. PatenteaAug. 20, 1918.

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` APPLICATION FILED IUIIE 2. 1914.

oscan B. anni), or raounrrnnasanr, 'rnnnnssnn WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Y Pajghted Aug, 20, 1918,

Application filed June 2, 1914. Serial No.` 842,372.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR B; REED, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Mountpleasant, in the county ofy Maury and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful improvements in YWire- Stretchers, of which the following is a specilication. i i

This invention relates to wire stretchers, and the primary object ot the `invention is the provision of a device tor stretching woven wire or single strand wire oit which fencesk are constructed, 'for bringing two meeting ends in proximity to each other for secure connection, or for stretching the wire for `forming a straight and firm fence for attachmentl te a post or other permanent structure.

Another object of this invention is `the provision of a wire stretcher embodyingA a rndl having its ends oppositely screw threaded and nuts carried thereby tor movement upon the rod and attachable to the wire for stretching the latter, and also to provide means for rotating said rods for feeding said nuts thereupon, in either an inward or outward direction.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention consists in such novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reterence will be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved wire stretcher, and

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly tothe drawings, 1 designates a bar which has its opposite ends 2 and 3 screw threaded oppositely, one being provided with right hand external screw threads, while the other end is provided with leift hand external screw threads.

The screw threaded ends 2 and 3 of the bar 1 have winged nuts 4 and 5 mounted thereon, which nuts are provided with internal screw threads for coaction with the eX- ternal screw threads formed upon the ends of the bar, so that the nuts may be fed either inwardly or outwardly upon the rotation of the bar. The nuts 4 and 5 have their wings 6 provided with openings?, in which openings are seated one end ot iiexible members 8. rThe flexible members S are illustrated. in the drawings as chains, and they are applicable for attachment to the ends et the wires to be stretched.

The rod 1 has mounted substantially equidistant its ends, two ratchet wheels 10 and 11, 'which ratchet wheels are held against longitudinal or rotary movement upon the bar by set screws 12, which set screws are inserted through the hubs ot the ratchet wheels as is clearly shownr in F ig.y 1 of the drawings. Y

A lever 14 is also mounted upon the bar 1 intermediate the two ratchet wheels 10 and 11, .and it is mounted freely thereupon for freeoscillatory movement about the rod.

Pawls 15 and 16 are attached to the oppositesides of thevlever 14, and they engage' the peripheral-teeth" of the ratchet-s 10`and 11, respectively. The peripheral teeth 'upon the ratchets 10 and 11 are formed oppositely so that when the pawl V15 is in engagement with the teeth of the ratchetV 10, and the lever 14 is operated, the rod 1 will be rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation in cases when the pawl 16 is in engagement with the peripheral teeth of the ratchet wheel 11, which provides for rotating the rod 1 for feeding winged nuts 4 and 5 inwardly or outwardly thereupon. l

The pawls 15 and 16 have rods 17 and 18 connected respectively thereto, which rods have their tree terminal ends angled for insertion into openings formed in the lever or handle 14, and they are provided for holding the pawls out of engagement with the peripheral teeth of the ratchets when it is so desired. The pawls 15 and 16 are Jfurther provided with channels 19 formed in their longer edges, which channels receive the free terminal ends of resilient bars 20," which bars are secured to the lever 14 and hold the pawls in engagement with the peripheral ratchet teeth when the angled ends of the bars 17 and 18 are not inserted in the holes formed in the lever, for holding the respective pawls out et engagement with the peripheral ratchet teeth.

In the operation of the improved wire stretcher as heretofore described, when it is desired to move the winged nuts 5 and 6 inwardly, toward the center of the rod 1, for stretching a wire, the pawl 16 is moved out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 11, and is held out of engagement therewith by the insertion of the angled end of the rod 18 into the opening (not shown), formed in the lever 14, and upon oscillat-ory movement of the lever 14, the bar l will be rotated through the action of the pawl 15 and the ratchet 10, which will rotate the bar 1, and

owing to the fact that the winged nuts 5 and 6 are held against rotation by their connection with the wire, they will be fed inwardly toward the ratchets upon the rotation of the bar 1, and their inward moveupon actuation of t-he lever 14 the winged nuts will be fed outwardly thereupon.

If it is so desired, one of the winged nuts may be secured to a post or any other suitable permanent structure for stretching wovenor single strand wire of which fences are formed.

In reducing the invention to practice, certain -minor features of construction, combinatlon, and arrangement of parts may necessitate alterations, to which thevpatentee A wire stretcher including a screw kthreaded bar, a pair of relatively spaced ratchet wheels secured to the bar at a point intermediate its ends, a lever rotatably mounted on the bar between the ratchet wheels for oscillatory movement about the bar and held against longitudinal movement thereon by said ratchet wheels, pawls pivoted upon each side of the lever and adapted to engage the teeth upon the ratchet wheels, said pawls having channels formed in their longer edges, resilient bars secured to each side of the lever and having their free ends disposed in the channels for normally holding the pawls in engagement with the ratchet wheels, and rods'pivoted at one of their ends to the pawls and having their other ends bent at right angles, said lever having apertures to receive the angled ends of said rods, whereby either of the pawls may be held from engagement with its ratchet wheel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

osoAR B. annu Witnesses:

PERRY A. TAYLOR, S. K. FOSTER.

Copie: of this 4patentY .be obtained for ve Icen-1:: each, by addressing the Commissioner o! Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

